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It is finally here! After Action Comics #1051, this is easily the comic book I have been looking forward to the most from the "Dawn of DC" line up. And I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint. At the time of writing this, it has a massive 97% approval rating on the LOCG website, and a ton of reviews praising the art, writing, and story. I think it's safe to say DC's attempt at reinvigorating the Superman brand is working... provided they can keep up the momentum set by this premiere and January's Action Comics release.
As for my own thoughts on the Man of Steel's newest solo series, let's dive in...
Okay, let's start with the easiest part: the art. Jamal Campbell is the lead artist on this series and already doing a fantastic job. I was only familiar with his work from the variant covers on the Tom Taylor Nightwing run, so this was my first time seeing what he's like as an interior artist. (Edit: Apparently, he was also one of the artists on the Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special. I didn't realize that when writing this review.) I was very impressed. The art is gorgeous right from page one. The nice thing about this issue is that it gives such a varied sampling of what Campbell can do -- showing off several action scenes, some quiet character moments, some humorous scenes, city skylines... pretty much everything. And it's all beautiful. My favorite panels were a two-page spread showcasing moments throughout Clark's life, and a similar collage-style image featuring the Superfamily. Also, kudos on the fantastic inks and colors. It all looks beautiful!
Now let's put Joshua Williamson under the microscope. The dialogue writing in particular jumped out to me during this issue. Everyone feels so completely in-character and the conversations flow naturally. The scene between Clark and Lois on the Daily Planet's roof was my favorite. Obviously, this couple means the world to me, and I was so happy to see that Williamson seems to get them and what their dynamic should be. The scenes with Lex talking to Clark (via superhearing, we didn't get any climactic show down between them just yet) were also very well done. I could certainly imagine Lex using such an underhanded tactic to get his way.
Speaking of Lex, let's talk about the story itself. As with basically any first issue, this one was mostly setting up the story to come. We got a quick introduction to how things currently stand at the Daily Planet, what Clark is up to now that he's back on Earth, and presumably introduced to our main villain for this first arc. I use the word "presumably" because it was heavily implied at the end of the issue that we haven't in fact met the big bad yet and there's more going on than meets the eye. And then there's Lex Luthor. He claims to want to work with Superman against some unnamed threat that is coming. But is he sincere in this? I will say, it all comes together to form a very intriguing set up for the series. I'm hooked for now. We'll have to wait and see if the story lives up when played out over several issues.
One last note. Let's talk about this Supercorp development. I've heard a lot of mixed feelings on different fansites and forums these last couple of days. To be honest, I'm not sure where I land on the debate. I was initially unhappy when I got to that part of the story. My opinion for years now has been that superhero stories are generally at their best when the hero is working with their own skills/powers/resources/etc. If they have to have help, let it be from the sidekicks, their teammates, or even family. Letting superheroes have access to unlimited resources often leads to a massive lowering of stakes. Not only that, it can easily make the hero seem dumb or useless if they constantly have other people doing the hard work for them. I'm nervous about whether or not Supercorp will do this to the Superman series. It feels a little redundant as well, considering he already has the Justice League, Superfamily, and now Ironworks (once they finish rebuilding) to fall back on when necessary. All that being said, I'm not ready to write off this development completely. For one thing, it's too early to tell what sort of impact this will have on the story overall. For another thing, I'm not fully convinced this will stick. Call me a pessimist, but I'm not ready to believe that Lex and Mercy are doing this out of a genuine desire to do good; I won't be surprised if they end up having some ulterior motives behind the scenes.
Overall, what is my opinion of this new venture into the world of Metropolis and its most famous citizen? I loved it. I had so much fun reading this issue. And, at the end of the day, that's all that a comic book really needs to be. It's fun, it's beautifully drawn, and the writing is great. Let's hope Williamson and Campbell keep up the good work moving forward. It's good to have Superman back at the top of his game. If nothing else, at least this "Dawn of DC" has given us that.
My rating: 9/10
As for my own thoughts on the Man of Steel's newest solo series, let's dive in...
Okay, let's start with the easiest part: the art. Jamal Campbell is the lead artist on this series and already doing a fantastic job. I was only familiar with his work from the variant covers on the Tom Taylor Nightwing run, so this was my first time seeing what he's like as an interior artist. (Edit: Apparently, he was also one of the artists on the Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special. I didn't realize that when writing this review.) I was very impressed. The art is gorgeous right from page one. The nice thing about this issue is that it gives such a varied sampling of what Campbell can do -- showing off several action scenes, some quiet character moments, some humorous scenes, city skylines... pretty much everything. And it's all beautiful. My favorite panels were a two-page spread showcasing moments throughout Clark's life, and a similar collage-style image featuring the Superfamily. Also, kudos on the fantastic inks and colors. It all looks beautiful!
Now let's put Joshua Williamson under the microscope. The dialogue writing in particular jumped out to me during this issue. Everyone feels so completely in-character and the conversations flow naturally. The scene between Clark and Lois on the Daily Planet's roof was my favorite. Obviously, this couple means the world to me, and I was so happy to see that Williamson seems to get them and what their dynamic should be. The scenes with Lex talking to Clark (via superhearing, we didn't get any climactic show down between them just yet) were also very well done. I could certainly imagine Lex using such an underhanded tactic to get his way.
Speaking of Lex, let's talk about the story itself. As with basically any first issue, this one was mostly setting up the story to come. We got a quick introduction to how things currently stand at the Daily Planet, what Clark is up to now that he's back on Earth, and presumably introduced to our main villain for this first arc. I use the word "presumably" because it was heavily implied at the end of the issue that we haven't in fact met the big bad yet and there's more going on than meets the eye. And then there's Lex Luthor. He claims to want to work with Superman against some unnamed threat that is coming. But is he sincere in this? I will say, it all comes together to form a very intriguing set up for the series. I'm hooked for now. We'll have to wait and see if the story lives up when played out over several issues.
One last note. Let's talk about this Supercorp development. I've heard a lot of mixed feelings on different fansites and forums these last couple of days. To be honest, I'm not sure where I land on the debate. I was initially unhappy when I got to that part of the story. My opinion for years now has been that superhero stories are generally at their best when the hero is working with their own skills/powers/resources/etc. If they have to have help, let it be from the sidekicks, their teammates, or even family. Letting superheroes have access to unlimited resources often leads to a massive lowering of stakes. Not only that, it can easily make the hero seem dumb or useless if they constantly have other people doing the hard work for them. I'm nervous about whether or not Supercorp will do this to the Superman series. It feels a little redundant as well, considering he already has the Justice League, Superfamily, and now Ironworks (once they finish rebuilding) to fall back on when necessary. All that being said, I'm not ready to write off this development completely. For one thing, it's too early to tell what sort of impact this will have on the story overall. For another thing, I'm not fully convinced this will stick. Call me a pessimist, but I'm not ready to believe that Lex and Mercy are doing this out of a genuine desire to do good; I won't be surprised if they end up having some ulterior motives behind the scenes.
Overall, what is my opinion of this new venture into the world of Metropolis and its most famous citizen? I loved it. I had so much fun reading this issue. And, at the end of the day, that's all that a comic book really needs to be. It's fun, it's beautifully drawn, and the writing is great. Let's hope Williamson and Campbell keep up the good work moving forward. It's good to have Superman back at the top of his game. If nothing else, at least this "Dawn of DC" has given us that.
My rating: 9/10
